Post-network era

The post-network era, also known as the post-era era, is a concept that was popularized by Amanda D. Lotz. It denotes the period that followed an earlier network era, television's first institutional phase that started in the 1950s and ran through to the mid-1980s, and television's later multi-channel transition. It describes a period that saw the deterioration of the dominance of the Big Three television networks: ABC, CBS and NBC, and follows the creation of a wide variety of cable television channels that catered specifically to niche groups. The post-network era saw the development of technologies that deliver a wider diversity of programming choice, less constraints on a consumers choice of medium, decentralization of the location of their viewing, and freedom of choice over time of their viewing. For Amanda D. Lotz, the post-network era has been defined by five C's: "choice, control, convenience, customization, and community". These five concepts, which have defined the post-network era, all relate to the ways in which viewers have greater access to a wider array of content which can be consumed on their own terms. The concept comes from the field of Television studies, and has been used by various academics to discuss numerous different topics. The concept has been endorsed by media scholar Henry Jenkins, co-director of the Media Industries Project Michael Curtin, and American Studies, and Film and Media professor Jason Mittell.

Vast modifications were made to the way in which the television industry was operated following the earlier Network Era and a period of Multi-channel transition. The major factor governing the transition to a post-network paradigm was a computational and generational shift in the audience. These emergent developments in the post-network era have led television audiences to split attention between many different channels, devices, and forms of media as Television programs are no longer confined to the Television set.

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